Pretty Dresses and Luxuries
by Everythingisawesome001
Summary: Morgiana was a slave. Even without an owner, she couldn't shake the feeling that she could be anything more than a pet to the rich. Maybe her fellow Fanalis and former slave, Masrur, could change her mind.


**Hello! Just another fanfic about the latest addition to my manga collection. I always appreciate friendships more than romances and I hope to write more stories for those of you who feel the same.**

 **XO**

Pretty Dresses and Luxuries

They had ventured into the streets simply to introduce the young, Fanalis to what would be her home for the next few months. Being her mentor, Masrur was made familiar to her life as a slave – being abused by the slave owner, Jamil, the rich chief of Qishan who had mysteriously disappeared in a dungeon. Masrur could clearly remember his own life of having been tirelessly trained by the Reim empire, being conditioned to be a seasoned soldier before he could even learn to read. So he could understand how she flinched when Alibaba touched her or whimpered quietly when another man got too close.

She was sold to a land where her kind was ridiculed and foreign. Unlike him, she didn't grow up listening to the stories of their strong people late at night so to hold onto some form of sanity, she only heard her own screams from being whipped in the back and left without food for days.

His life was horrible but he had people standing behind him pushing him forward when he fell back.

She had nobody. Up until months ago, she had been harassed tirelessly and she was left without a voice.

"Sir Masrur," he snapped out of his reverie at her soft voice. He glanced down at her and noticed her wincing, worried that she had interrupted his train of thought.

That was also a sign of her struggles. Her hesitation to speak up, afraid that the wrong word could result in punishment. Sindria was a land without pain, yet her world was black and white. Her heart held pain, her strong Fanalis heritage having been stripped and sealed away.

Masrur could remember the conversation he had with Sinbad about her.

"She's been hurt. Masrur, you of all people could understand that. Which is why I want you to stand as a pillar of hope. Somebody that she has to look up to."

"What is it?" He inquired. She looked at the ground.

"I was told by King Sinbad told me that I had to... to pick up something from the shops for the celebration tonight. He told me that I needed a dress. He said that he had ordered a lady down by the river to make me one a-and he told me to go with you to pick it up," she mumbled.

She sounded stoic but you could see how her eyes shined that she was excited. Excited to have a pretty dress after years of wearing the same tattered clothing. Even now, she adorned a simple, white dress, signifying her status as a former slave.

"Let's go then," he stated. Heading down the river towards Nadia's parlour.

Just as they strolled down to the parlour, the passed a cavern where some drunk men were having some drunk conversations.

"Did ya hear? The Kou empire just handed over 500 slaves to this new slave master. Man, if Sindria allowed slaves, I would buy myself so many," one man said and the rest burst out laughing.

Masrur's fist clenched. He turned back to look at Morgiana, who had paused and taken to listening to their conversations. One man turned to look at her, completely unaware of the older Fanalis standing nearby.

"H-hey! You're that Fanalis girl. The one that belonged to Lord Jamil. I saw ya at one of his parties. Why would you leave such an amazing palace?"

Morgiana flinched, stepping back so hard that the cobblestone crumbled below her. Masrur pulled her behind him.

"Silence. How dare you say such things. The life of a slave is not a desirable luxury. If you speak in such a manner again, you will be tossed in the dungeon for the rest of your lives. Perhaps then you could catch a glimpse of the horrific truths of being a slave," he glowered. The drunken men cowered in fear and muttered apologies.

He felt movement behind him and saw Morgiana running away. He turned and begun to follow.

It didn't take long for him to reach her. He took her shoulder and turned her around. He opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted.

"Lord Jamil used to give me pretty dresses whenever he was hosting a party at the palace. He made sure that if any diplomat or lord saw me, they would see how greatly he would treat us. One year, a man asked me if Lord Jamil truly treated us well and..." she paused and shuffled in his hold. It took him a minute to realize that she wasn't trembling in fear, but rather in anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her toes dug into the stone, "I told him everything, about how he would beat us and starve us. Lord Jamil overheard and he... he punished me terribly that night. He stripped me naked and tied me up against the dungeon wall. He took hot rods of iron and placed them against my skin. He did that for the whole night."

"I cried and screamed and told him to stop. He told me that as a slave, whatever he did to me was justified and that I would learn that it was done for my own happiness. A year later he did it to me again... and I didn't scream. Or cry. Because I knew I deserved it. I was a slave and that is in my blood. I deserve it. I–"

"You are a Fanalis. And nowhere in Fanalis beliefs does it say that you were born to be a slave. You are a warrior. That little boy was nothing compared to you and now you have to convince yourself of that. I can understand feeling alone when you have spent your life serving another. But no longer will this be who you are. Now come. Let this day be the day that you reveal your true self. The past means nothing anymore."

He released the young girl from his grip. Recently, he often forgot that she was not just a Fanalis. She was a child. A child that had grown up too fast. She had never experienced freedom.

"Let's go get the dress."

They went to see Nadia; the elderly woman that had been working at the side of the river for many years. She treated the young Fanalis with care and anyone could see Morgiana's happiness at being treated so kindly.

The dress had been a soft blue in colour and came in layers of soft fabric. The beadwork looking so intricate that no one would mistake her for a slave.

Masrur then took her to get some food from his favourite restaurant. She smiled as people gathered around her, complimenting her beauty and speaking about how they heard of her fight back in Balbadd. Masrur watched as the words of the men slipped from her mind and were replaced with the kinder ones of the Sindrian citizens.

They walked back to the palace, dress in her hand.

It wasn't until later during the party that he saw her again, looking radiant. Her blue dress catching the attention of many around her.

"Sir Masrur," her head was held high. She bowed to him, something she has been seen doing many times when she was feeling thankful, "Thank you for today. I would have never realized my worth without you and I would like to thank you for that."

Masrur placed a hand on her head, "You do not have to thank me for anything. You discovered this power yourself. We will work on helping you develop your powers now."

She nodded, her eyes gleaming.

"HEY MORG, come dance with me!" Alibaba held his hand out to her. She didn't even hesitate in taking it and joining him in the masses of people following suit.

Masrur let a small smile grace his face.

She definitely was a determined little one.

 **I'm not very proud of this one but I hope you guys will enjoy! I personally love a good Fanalis friendship!**

 **Until next time.**

 **XOXO**

 **EverythingisAwesome001**


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